Burglar-alarm



" G. W. GOOL'EY.

Burglar-Alarm- Patented Mar. 30,1880.

GEORGE NV. COOLEY, OF CHESTERTON, INDIANA.

BURGLAR-ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,972, dated March 30, 1880.

Application led December 12, 1879.

To all 'whom it may concern.- A

Beit known that I, GEoRGE W. OooLEY, of Chesterton, in the county of Porter and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Burglar-Alarms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a mechanical burglar-alarm more especially intended for farm and country use, but adapted generally for dwellings and outhouses. The alarm proper is designed to belocated in a sleeping-room of the dwelling7 and the connections may extend about the dwelling and to and about an outhouse to guard the doors an d win dows thereof, or they may extend about the yard to protect fruit or clothes left out to dry. The alarmbox is provided with a device whereby a match is lighted when the alarm issounded.

The invention consists in the alarm proper, combined with cords or lines adapted to be extended therefrom athwart the doors, windows, or other points to be guarded, and an auxiliary mechanism located between two sections of the connecting lines for the purpose of permitting unequal strain upon the several sections into which the line is thereby divided.

It also consists in the special features of construction belonging to the alarm and to the auxiliary apparatus, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

Figure l shows the invention applied to guard a door and window by the passage of the thread across the same in position to be broken bythe entrance of a burglar. Fig. 2 shows the guard-line passing across a closed door and hooked to the lower window-sash. Fig. 3 specially illustrates the match-lighting device attached to the alarm-box, and Fig. e11 is a vertical section through front and back of the alarm-box.

A is the alarm-box. B is the secondary mechanism, connected with the alarm-box, as will be explained, by the cord a. C and D represent windows and doors, guarded by the thread b, leading from the secondary mechanism B.

The alar1n-box A consists of an outer case,

usually made of iron, and, say, aboutiive inches high, three inches wide, and one inch de ep, adapted to be secured to the wall by screws fw w. The lower half, E, of the case-front is hinged at d d, so as to open outward and downward into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. Within the upper portion of the case is located clock-work of the usual form for alarm purposes, and opposite the door E is iixed a bell, L, sounded by the striker S.

The clock-work is wound by the protruding `squared shaft s, and is held from motion when the door E is closed by means of the pin t, which protrudes from the inner face of the door and engages with the stop-wire o, suitably connected with the works, to arrest their motion when held down by the wire t, as shown in Fig. 1. Said wire o is connected with a vertical wire, fr, which rises through the top of the case in position to be depressed by the finger. The alarm being wound with the door E closed and the pin t over the wire o, as shown, it can be set 0E only by opening the door. The door is held, therefore, by fastenings, which connect through the cords a and?) with the points to be guarded, and is thrown out by the spring p when the fastenings are released.

Essentially the fastening consists of a pivoted latch, l, secured to the permanent portion of the case-front and borne down by the spring .m to engage the door, the tension of the cord a, being applied to the latch l in such manner as to oppose the force of said spring m.

Forthe purpose of providing against a variable force, depending upon the length of the cord a and other conditions, the simple elements of the fastening, as stated, are duplicated, and, for the purpose of better working, they are otherwise modified as follows: The plate t' is screwed to the door and rises about an inch above it, and is held by the latch Z by dropping the latter over it. Said plate t' has a notch, j, through which the end of the latch may pass, so that the door may be released either by raising or depressing the latch. If, therefore, the cord t is severed, the spring m will throw the latch downward to escape the plate fi through the notch j, and if said cord is drawn upon the latch is lifted above the' plate i against the force of the spring m. Ineither case the door is thrown open by the spring p and the alarm is sounded.

The duplicates of the parts m and l are found in the spring m and the bell-crank l', and they are connected with the former by the baro, pivoted to Z and l. Either of these springs may be thrown ott' to meet the varying strain upon the cord af. They are made of unequal length or strength, so that three changes may be made in the strain upon the cord o by using one or the other or both the springs m m.

The pivoted stop-plate a is arranged with reference to the lever Z in position to be swung against it and prevent the unlatching of the door by the rupture of the cord a, leaving` it to be opened only bytension thereof. The spring m is shown to act upon the latch l through the pivoted lever n.

The secondary mechanism B consists of the base-piece I, (adapted to be secured to the wall, by screws or otherwise, in the position shown,) the pulley O, the vibrating lever N, and the pawl P, all attached to the base-piece I. Said pawl has the notch f, which may engage with the pin c on the lever N. To the pulley O is secured the weight W by means of a cord, g, fastened to the pulley-say at the point h. The cord g is knotted or provided with a link at q, by whichl the cord ct is fastened thereto by means ofthe hook k. The pulley O has a pin, n', on its periphery, and the lever N extends into engagement therewith, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 2.

IBy means of this device a heavy weight, W', may be sustained and released by slight strain upon the line b, and by varying the length ofthe arms of lever N or the length of the pin n any variation in strain on the several lines a and l) may be obtained.

In Fig. l the line b is connected to the lever N at its upper end, while the pin n bears against the lever on the opposite side at its lower end. A rupture of the line b will therefore release the pin n and allow the weight YV to fall, setting oft the alarm through the connected line c. So, also, any considerable ilexion of the line b-as when a person attempts to enter the door, for example-will set off the alarm before breaking the line b, lrst throwing the pin n backward and raising the weight W slightly until the pin escapes the lever and allows the weight to fall as before. The pawl l? serves in this use of the device B simply to hold the lever and pin in place while the line b is being drawn and secured.

In Fig. 2 the line b is attached to the pawl l?, and is relied upon to raise the pawl, and not in any ease to break before setting olf the alarm. In this figure, also, the window is guarded by hooking the line b to the lower sash, which, of course, may be done in the case of Fig. l.

The match-lightin g device consists of a tube or grooved plate, R, to receive and hold the match, a rough-faced piece, T, fastened to the side ofthe case, and against which the matchhead hears, and a spring, c, arranged beneath the lower end of the match, so as to throw it outward, that it may be ignited against the rough surface of the piece T as the door is opened, and held extended from the open door when lighted. The match is lighted, therefore, simultaneously with the setting oft' of the alarm. The awakened sleeper finds his room illuminated at once, and may, without delay, light his lamp and proceed to demolish the invader.

When the alarm is applied to protect the dwelling alone, the auxiliary device B may be dispensed with, the line a being led across or secured to the doors and windows directly; but when an outbuilding Vis to be protected the mechanism B should be used and located in or upon said outhuilding, so that a stronger cord may be employed for the connection a and materially unequal strains imparted to the two several sections a and b of the connections in the operation of the apparatus.

I claim as my inventionl. The mechanical alarm described, which consists of the alarm proper, A, the lines a and b, and the auxiliary mechanism B, serving as an intermediate connection between said lines, whereby they may be subjected to different degrees of strain, substantially as set forth..

2. In the alarm, the clock-work Wr and door E, the latter provided with the pin t, adapted to mediately or immediately engage the works to prevent their running when the door is closed, combined with a cord, a, and a fastening device, by which the door is held and released, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the door E, arranged to hold the alarm at rest when closed, the latch l, spring m, and cord a, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination with the door E, arranged to hold the alarm at rest when closed, the levers l and l', connected by the pivoted bar c, and the spring' m m', one or both of which is adapted to be thrown out of action, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a combination with the case and door of the alarm-box A, the grooved or tubular match-holder R, the spring fu, and the xed piece T, having a rough surface, arranged substantially as and for the purposes stated.

6. The combination, with the cords ce and b of a burglar-alarm, of the intermediate device, B, consisting of the weight W', cord g, pulley O, provided with the pin n', the pivoted lever N, having the pin c, and the notched pawl P, adapted to engag'e the pin c, substantially as described, and for the purposes stated.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aftx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE \V. GOOLEY.

Witnesses:

M. E. DAYTON, J Essn Cox, Jr.

IOC'

IIO 

